Terminal connector.



1. A. JONES,

TERMINAL CONNECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. II. 1914.

963; Patented Aug. 3,1915.

Figi.

v i ORA/frs JAMES A. JONES, OF NDIANAPOLS, INDIANA.

TERMINAL CONNECTOR.

To all whom it may conc-em.'

Be it known that l, JAMES, A. JONES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Indianapolis, in the county ot' Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Terminal Connector, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.-

This invention relates to lamp sockets or other electrical devices to which circuit wires are connected, and the invention relates more particularly to means for connecting the wires to the terminals of a lamp socket or other electrical device.

Lamp sockets as in present use are provided with screws that serve as binding posts for securing the leading-in wires to the terminals, and these screws are so arranged as to render it extremely difiicult to make the electrical connections with convenience, especially when the lamp socket is in a dark place, and also because a screw driver is necessary.

The general objects of the present invention are to provide a terminal connector-or binding post for'lamp sockets and the like which has the advantages of enabling the circuit wires to be connected to the terminals with great ease, despatch and precision, and at the same time insure effective electric contacts.

A specific object of the invention is the provision of a binding post or terminal connector that 'includes two interfitting elements, one being in the nature of a socket across the open side of which the conductor is initially placed, and the -other being inl the form of a tongue element, which in entering the socket kinks the wire or forms the same into a U-shaped bight which notl only resists longitudinal strains' on the wires but -provides large areas of contact between the socket and tongue elements. Locking means may also be provided for retaining the tongue or plug element in a position to hold the wire clamped in the socket element.

With such objects in view, and others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts such as will'be set forth with particularity in the followingy description and claims appended hereto.

ln the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention,

and wherein similar characters of reference Specification of Letters Patent.

AppIication filed March 11, 1914.

Patented Aug. 3, i915.

Serial No. 823,937.

kindicate corresponding parts in all the views, Figure 1 is a horizontal section of the switch type of lamp socket shown in Fig. 1l, the section being taken on the line 1 1 of the latter; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lower section of the insulator body separated on the line 2-2, Fig. 11, the lamp socket shell being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3, Fig. ll; Fig. l is a perspective view of the arbor-holding frame of the snap switch; Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the lamp socket; Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6*(3, Fig. 11, looking in the direc-Y tion of the arrow; Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the terminal connectors the upper part in section; and Fig. 13 is a i perspective view of the socket element shown in Fig. 9 and viewed from a diiierent angle.

in the present instance the invention is shown in connection with a snap switch lamp socket, but it isv tobe understood that it can be used in other types of lalnp sockets, and in fact other electrical devices where leading-in or other wires are to be connected to terminals or binding posts.

Referring to Fig. 1l, 1 designates the shell of the lamp socket which has a detachable dome or cover 2, the `two parts being provided with insulating lining 3 and il, respectively, and into the shell throughr an insulation hushed opening 5 extend the leading-in wires 6 and 7. Within the shell l is a of a U-shaped bight or kink.

14, whereby the socket element is supported.y

The free edge of the member 10 has a recess 15 yinto which the leading-in wire is seated,

and the tongue or plug element 11 also has a recess 16 for engaging the leading-in wire.

The width of the socket, as shown in Fig. 7,

is somewhat greater than the thickness of the tongue or plug element 11, so that spaces 17 and 18 will be provided on opposite sides of the plug element for enabling the bared extremity 6' of the wire 6, Fig. 7, to be pressed into the socket element in the form The bared extremity 6a is placed over vthe open side of the socket, as shown by the dotted lines', Fig. 7, and then the plug element 11 is pressed into the socket, and in so doing it doubles the wire, as shown, whereby the wire will have a large areafof contact-.with the socket element which forms one terminaly of the lamp socket.

1t is to be noted that the tongue or plug elements 11 are mounted on the lower section a of the porcelain base by pivots 19, and that they are, together with the socket elements 10, disposed in recesses yand c in the said sections a' of the insulation base, and when the tongue elements 11 are in wireholding position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, they lie Within the periphery of the insulation base, and consequently, when the switch is inserted in the shell 1 of the lamp socket, the plug elements 11 cannot Work out. The wedging action incident to forcing the tongue elements and conductors into the socket elements also serves to retain the tongue elements in place. However, it may be desirable to provide positive locking means,and consequently a spring catch 20 is provided on the Wall or member 13 of each socket element, and the portion'Ql of each catch is adapted to enter a recess 22 formed in the companion tongue element 11. IThus, when a tongue element is forced intoa socket element, the spring catch 20 yields until the tongue element is forced home, when the roJection 21 of the catch enters a recess 22 1n the tongue element. To conveniently release the tongue element from the 'socket the free extremities of the tongue elements are provided with lips 23 which can be engaged y the thumb nail or any suitable instrument in order to retract the tongue elements from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 8.

The socket element for the binding post B extends into the threaded shell 2i that reshell having an opemng 25 to receive the base portion let of the socket element. This base portion 1i has a threaded opening 26 into which the inner end of one of the screws 8 screws, to thereby clamp the base 14 against the inner part 27 of the threaded lamp-receiving socket 2l, as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The outer binding post or terminal con! nector C has its socket element 10 carried by the frame D which supports the key arbor 28 of the switch. This arbor is rotatably mounted in the bearing openings 29 of the frame D and has on its outer end a linger piece or knob 30. On the arboris the usual rectangular contact element 31 by which the key-carrying frame D is fastened to the upper section a of the porcelain base, and the member 31 on the key is adapted to engage a spring contact 32 which is fastened to the insulation base A and has a spring Contact 33 which is adapted to engage with the central contact of an incandescent lamp. Since one sideof the circuit is connectedwith the frame D it is obvious that when the key 31 of the switch is turned to such a position that it engages the contact 32, the current will pass through the filamentof the lamp, it being understood that the central contact of the lamp is in engagement with the contact 32 while the metal base of the lamp is in Contact with the lamp-receiving threaded socket 2l, which in turn is connected through the binding post Br with the wire 6, the wire 7 being connected with the frame D through the binding post C. The binding posts are `so arranged that the tongue or plug elements 11 swing in a horizontal plane, but it is to be understood that they may be mounted to swing vertically.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompany drawings, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and whilel have described the device which l now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, l desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes ceives the base of a lamp bulb, this threaded whereby the plug element can bend a iexi- I ble wire Ainto a bight in the said socket element, and means for pivotally mounting the plug element with respect to the socket element, the members of the socket element and the plug element having registering notches for engaging the wire to preventV slipping thereof as the plug element is inserted.

2. An electrical binding post or terminal connector comprising-a socket element having an open side across which a flexible wire is adapted to be placed and a plug element movable into the socket for forming the wire into a bight and clamping it between opposite faces of the plug element and opposed walls ofthe socket element, and means for yieldingly locking the plug element in the socket, said plug element aving a notch for receiving the wire and preventing slipping thereof as the plug ele'- ment is insertedk in Athe socket element.

3. An electrical binding post or terminal connector comprising a -U-shaped socket element having anA open side across which a flexible wire is initially placed, a tongue element adapted to be moved into*y the socket from the open side for doubling the wire and clamping it between the opposite faces 4of the tongue element and opposed walls of the socket element, and a humped spring catch on one element, there being a recess on the other element with which the catch automatically engages to hold the tongue element in-wire-grlpping position.

4. A device of the vclass described comprising an insulating support, a U-shaped socket element mounted thereon and having an open side across which a flexible wire is initially placed, and a wire-gripping element pivotally mounted on the said support and adapted in moving into the socket to double the wire and clamp the same between opposite faces of the tongue element and opposed walls of the socket element.

5. A device of the class described comprising an insulating support, a Ushaped socket element mounted'thereon and having an open side across which a ieXible wire is initially placed, a wire-gripping element pivotally mounted onthe said support and adapted in moving into the socket to double the wire and clamp the same between opposite faces of the tongue element and opposed walls of the socket element, a catch on one element, and means on the other element with which the catch engages to hold the tongue element in wire-clamping position.

6. The combination of an insulating support having recesses` in its surface, a terminal connector in said recesses and disposed within the periphery of the support, andi a shell enclosing the said support and terminal connectors, each terminal connector comprising a U-shaped socket element fastened to the lsaid support, and a pivoted tongue or plug element fastened to the support and adapted to enter the socket element for clamping a wire in the latter, said shell serving to keep the tongue from moving out of the socket element.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES A. JONES.`

Witnesses:

C. B. CAMPBELL, RUTH CAMPBELL. 

